Friday, January 30, 2004

100 Things About Tankboy(Why not?)

1. I am six feet two inches tall.
2. This makes it easy for me to watch bands from anywhere within a club.
3. This does not make me immune to some idiot dude screaming along his favorite lyrics to his favorite band’s favorite song.
4. I’m older than I look.
5. As a matter of fact, no one ever gets my age correct and when people meet me in the company of my two brothers they always think I’m the youngest when I am, in fact, the oldest.
6. My girlfriend keeps hoping that one day I will actually act my age.
7. I have a beagle named Betty.
8. I own a truly insane amount of music.
9. So much music that it is probably the manifestation of some deep-rooted psychological disorder.
10. I wore a trench coat with a stuffed Kermit the Frog perched on my shoulder all through the second half of high-school. The trench coat was worn at all times ever since my sophomore year when I had to stand outside in the freezing cold during a bomb threat. The frog was just a weird affectation.
11. Yes, I am aware that is pretty weird and that if I did that sort of thing today people would think I was some sort of shotgun toting psychopath.
12. The ‘80s were a different time, okay?
13. I was the first guy in my high school to get my ear pierced. Lots of people called me lots of names.
14. A few years later almost every guy in my high school had their ear pierced.
15. The first time I had sex Love and Rockets was playing in the background and a few days later I saw the midnight premiere of Batman. I considered myself a very lucky teenager that week!
16. I leaned how to kiss a girl from my best friend Lisa Arthur as she was trying to distract me since I upset over being recently dumped. I needed more friends like Lisa.
17. I learned how not to kiss by kissing a few guys in college and discovered that a smooch is not a sword battle to be fought to the death.
18. No, I’ve never slept with a guy, not that it’s any of your business. It was just a different time in college amongst a group of friends where very few things were taboo.
19. My first big concert was The Jets. I won a “Just Say No To Drugs” cartoon contest and got backstage passes.
20. No, I wasn’t a fan, but thought it was cool to get backstage.
21. No, the irony of my winning a “Just Say No To Drugs Contest” is not lost on me.
22. I once put my arm through a window and then convinced the doctors at the emergency room to let my friend videotape me getting stitched up.
23. I still get a little queasy watching that tape.
24. In college Billy Corgan and I got thrown out of a house because we were dancing and playing James Brown too loudly.
25. It was really late at night.
26. No, Billy Corgan probably couldn’t pick me out of a line-up.
27. While we’re on famous people, Eddie Vedder once came into a club I was DJing at and sent up a little drawing of a record player to me with “Vive la vinyl” written on it along with his autograph. I was playing CDs.
28. I decided not to correct his mistake and thanked him for the gift.
29. I hit on Liz Phair once and didn’t know it was Liz Phair.
30. I beat Kim Thayilin a dance-off and had an extended conversation with Chris Cornell wherein Chris Cornell denied he was Chris Cornell and feigned boredom until I started telling him how cool I thought it was that his wife was a woman in power in the music biz.
31.Kurt Vonnegut once made a special trip to the coffee shop I was hanging out at because my girlfriend told his personal assistant I was a fan. When he came in he said, “Who is this boyfriend that wants to meet me?!” I was speechless and couldn’t even ask for an autograph.
32. I am such an idiot. Okay, no more celebrity stories since they all make me look like a tool.
33. I used to book a club but got burned out and now I just promote shows I want to promote around Chicago and the surrounding region.
34. My favorite singer is David Bowie.
35. I don’t have a favorite band, though The Who, Jane’s Addiction, Blur and Pavement are way up there.
36. I don’t have a favorite local band either but I seem to set up lots of shows with Woolworthy and Light FM so I must like them a whole bunch.
37. I lived in South Texas as a kid and once got kicked a couple feet through the air by a cow.
38. We also used to go to Mexico once or twice a week to fill up our Buick with diesel, pick up cheap booze and buy the best soft ice cream I have ever had in my life.
39. It was in Texas that I learned how to swim. I am a really good swimmer though I never really competed.
40. In college I was originally going to be a double Major in Art and English with a Minor in Theater.
41. Once I realized how much I dislike both artists and actors as a general population I swiftly narrowed it down to just Majoring in English.
42. Really, both groups are just way too namby-pamby and can’t critique worth shit because everyone is so concerned with hurting everyone else’s feelings.
43. English majors aren’t much better in that respect, come to think of it.
44. As a kid my favorite comic strip was Bloom County.
45. Then along came Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side.
46. I originally wanted to be a cartoonist and made quite a name for myself with the Illinois State University paper in the early ‘90s for my pointed attacks on the Gulf War and the section of the school administration dealing with student housing.
47. It is a fact that any people working within any aspect of housing any students in a college town are absolutely opportunistic slime-balls.
48. Wow, I forgot just how angry that used to make me!
49. No, I’m not going to write anything else about sex, my mom might be reading this. Let's just say I've had my fair share of kink, okay? Also, I will never doubt another letter to Penthouse.
50. Jay-sus, I’m only half-way through? This is taking forever!
51. I smoke too much, but I smoke far less than I used to.
52. I also drink too much but, again,. It pales in comparison to what I used to consume.
53. I actually like both of my parents which seems pretty odd in this day in age.
54. I did get into a physical fight with my dad once and pinned him. I think that’s the first time I ever realized my dad was mortal and if that was true then I must be mortal too and would die one day.
55. I was a real handful as a teenager. Way too sensitive and smart for my own good. I used to wish I was stupid so I could glide through life as an average shmoe.
56. My entire high school football team wanted to kick my ass for writing a satirical article about sports. They were the state champions. The piece was not well received as teachers opened their classes with tirades about what a disrespectful idiot I was.
57. The funny thing is, in Junior High I was a pretty damn good football player.
58. I’ve played almost every sport there is to play yet I have never been able to get excited about any of them and feel left out of the cultural discourse as we cycle through football, basketball and baseball seasons.
59. Against all odds, I guess you could say I'm an optimist.
60. I get worn down but I never really seem to get depressed.
61. I can function on very little sleep.
62. However I can get pretty cranky.
63. My girlfriend knows things about me that no other human alive knows.
64. When people ask me what I do for a living it’s hard to answer them. Sometimes I say In write instruction manuals for hairdryers. Other times I tell them I design packaging for massage mats. Other times I tell them I invent toys. I do all those things and more.
65. I actually really like my job. I consider myself pretty lucky.
66. I also put together shows with bands I enjoy and make a little money off that.
67. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about making money off things I obviously enjoy. Then I realize how lucky I am to make money off things I obviously enjoy!
68. Again, in case we haven’t established it yet, I am an idiot.
69. I have a teddy bear that has been with me since birth. If my apartment were bu8rning he’s probably the first thing I would go after.
70. Um, the first inanimate thing I would go after.
71. Notice that by inanimate I’m not saying the teddy bear isn’t sentient. God only knows the emotional and psychic baggage that little guy is carrying around after years of being exposed to me!
72. Yeah, that last statement was a little weird. Let’s just forget I ever said numbers 69-71.
73. I always eat Popeye’s Fried Chicken on my birthday.
74. I’ve done a lot of drugs in my time but have always avoided heroin and PCP. Now I don’t do any drugs. Odd, actually.
75. My nipples are pierced.
76. So is my nose but I haven’t worn a ring in it in years.
77. I have two tattoos and I drew them both.
78. I want to have children one day and am determined that they will be the coolest kids ever. I also realize that they will probably rebel against me just as hard as I did against my parents and it will hurt me to see them go through the same growing pains I did knowing that when I say “I know what you’re going through and I can help” they will never believe me.
79. I wear size 12 or 13 boots and it is true what they say about guys with big feet…we do have big hands too. Ha, perv!
80. I sang in front of a punk/funk band in the early ‘90s and usually wore a hockey mask and a one piece dress during our shows. I still occasionally play our demos and realize that while we weren’t all that great we weren’t that bad either.
81. I was very anti-groupie which annoyed my band-mates to no end.
82. I really need to start another band sometime soon since, when I’m out with my friends, I’m getting sick of answering what instrument I play or what band I’m in.
83. Maybe I need to dress more nicely, like in polo shirts and Dockers so people stop mistaking me for a musician.
84. Naw, I don’t look that good in a polo shirt.
85. If you see me drinking whiskey that’s a good sign.
86. If you see me drinking gin that’s a bad sign. Run. No, really, right now…run!
87. I’m almost done but don’t really feel I’ve imparted much of who I am to you. This seems more like a list of who I’ve been. Whatever. You are who you were, right?
88. I have a tendency to toss of philosophical-sounding phrases that sound deep to me but probably resonate as either obvious or idiotic to anyone else.
89. I seem especially fond of the word “idiot” and its various forms today, don’t I?
90. I went to my high school ten-year reunion a few years ago and instead of feeling superior to my old classmates – as I thought I would – I felt sorry for them. This response really bummed me out.
91. My favorite item of clothing is an electric blue polyester suit I bought for five bucks at a Salvation Army.
92. Sometimes I feel as if everything I once loved and thought was totally cool has been co-opted by marketing firms and is now being used to make a buck. It is then that I realize I am to blame for this since it’s people like me that are working for marketing firms and trying to figure out how to make a buck off stuff we like.
93. I rarely pay to go to a concert but will gladly buy a band’s CD from them even though I can probably get that for free too.
94. I get a thrill out of being thanked in band’s liner notes. It’s dumb, yeah, but I still think it’s kind of cool.
95. I love The Philadelphia Story, Bladerunner and This Is Spinal Tap and believe that my feelings for these movies say a lot more about me than all this typing.
96. I tend to not think before I speak and that has gotten me in a lot of trouble. I’ve gotten much better about it though.
97. I was a twenty-something bar star. I’m better now.
98. I love seeing people dance when I DJ. I especially like seeing people dance to non-dance songs when I DJ. I just love turning people on through music.
99. I used to have really, really long thick, curly hair. Now I have short, thick, curly hair.
100. The idea of growing old scares me but I hope to live to be older than 100…

Also, I’m heading into a really good weekend of live music here I Chicago. Tonight I’m gonna check out OK-Go at The Empty Bottle. These boys put on a great live show and deserve none of that backlash they were thrown through allegations of streamlining their sound and selling out their soul to a Major label. They still play quirky yet arena-sized rock and/or roll and that is a beautiful thing. Opening for them is a band named Spiralling who are getting killer press. I’m looking forward to seeing them and, if they play as well as their press reads, picking up a disc from them at the show.

Tomorrow Caviar plays with Giant Step at The Double Door and that should prove to be another evening of great rock and/or roll…but it don’t stop there! I’m also putting on a Tankboy bill at Beat Kitchen tomorrow night so keep an eye out for a tall blonde guy running from one club to another in an attempt to catch all the great music tomorrow night!

Now I’m gonna go and meditate on James Brown’s mug shot. Incidentally this was the very first thing I saw today. I fell asleep on my couch last night and woke up to Fox news this morning and his unshaven puss was the image that my brain had to process upon the lifting of my eyelids. Eeek!

I must have dreamed that whole Photogal exchange. Apparently she didn't ask me who was in my dream, I just thought she did!

It must be some sort of residual guilt over having a dream with a naked girl in it. Or maybe my id is poking out and pouting becasue I didn't go out with Rudy and a bunch of gurls last night and I'm feeling even guiltier for feeling like I missed out on something.

Or maybe I just need more coffee to shake off the fog crowding my head right now.

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Pitiful.

I had quite the steamy dream last night wherein I found myself drawn in by the wiles of a beautiful young lady who proceeded to get naked and urged me to do the same. However, even in my dream, I had to turn this gorgeous young lass down due to the fact I was living with Photogal and I couldn’t bring myself to do something that would jeopardize our relationship.

Lame!

If you can’t cheat on your girlfriend in your dreams when can you cheat on her!?
Grrrrr...

Monday, January 26, 2004

D-d-d-d-don’t stop the b-b-b-b-beat…

Okay, do stop the beat!

It was a good weekend. Woolworthy, Missile and The Melismatics tore The Note apart on Friday. Seriously. If you get a chance to see The Melismatics – and I mention them since they seem to tour quite a bit – do so! You’ll be treated to a frenetic, tuneful and raucous show. Really, they are not to be missed.

I then took it easy for the rest of the weekend. I’m not used to going out as late as I was last Wednesday, and Friday was boozerrific, so Saturday was spent watching 21 Grams and going out for a few drinks with Photogal, her sis and her sis’ significant other. Sunday my little bro was in from Canada to celebrate my littlest bro’s birthday so we all congregated at my parent’s house for ribs and cake.

I know, I know, you’re all like, “Wha happen’?!” with that last bit, right?
Let’s just say that while I see a lot of flick my littlest bro sees an insane number of movies so when we as a family decide to see a movie together there isn’t all that many options available to us. Also, while my mom enjoys a deep movie or two, she doesn’t want to be depressed to the verge of tears so usually the movie needs to be a bit upbeat.

How did I like it? Well there were a few funny and snide comments about the Hollywood scene in general but it’s basically the basic plot of Pretty In Pink only in this version Ducky gets the girl. I guess gals of the new millennium are much better at looking past the surface and divining the true intentions of the male beast.

Oh yeah, right, that is such bullshit. Girls almost always go for the wrong guy first and the right guy, well, when the wrong guy has crushed them and left them behind. I know...I spent a long time being the right guy...then a while of being the wrong guy until I regained my senses. The wrong guy almost always wins in the earlier years, trust me...

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Holy fuck.

The Spiders killed last night. Just totally demolished the rock and/or roll.

If you’re not familiar with the band, imagine Cobra Verde and Fu Manchu traveling in two different directions and slamming into each other head on. Now throw in a dash of Texas sass. That’s kind of what the Spiders were like.

I admit I was worried about doing a Wednesday night show at The Note – my previous employer – since it’s pretty tough to get a crowd out for local bands and an out-of-towner almost no one has ever heard of. Hell, the only reason I knew who The Spiders were was due to my experience with them at SXSW a few years ago. I’m glad I took the plunge though and accepted the challenge of putting together a bill around ‘em. They seemed pretty happy too since their booking agent -- who is a really nice guy as well -- primarily deals with stoner rock acts, The Spiders keep getting slapped in the middle of these metal bills. Their guitar player told me last night that it was really refreshing to play of a bill of such disparate acts like the one I put together last night.

As for the other acts, they too stood up and made a wall of noise. American Cosmonaut continues to break in their new bassist and move further away from the shuffling late ‘80s Manchester influences. Their sound last night was no less groovy than before but there is an added heft that is cementing itself to their songs.

Suffrajett continued to astound me as they just poured out slabs of guitar punctuated by Simi’s distinctive vocals. It’s nice to see a band wallowing in New York attitude prove their worth and justifiably assume the mantle of “fucking rock and/or rollers.”

The Cells closed out the show and while they were worried about following the heavy one-two punch of Suffrajett and The Spiders I think they more than proved themselves. Now a three-piece the group is louder, brasher and heavier than they used to be. Cory Hance’s songs have begun to migrate further from the fields of shiny pop and have begun exploring thicker and thornier jungles with terrific results. Their racket was so thick it virtually rolled off the stage and immersed the crowd.

Yup, for all my tension and worry that the show wouldn’t go well I think it’s safe to say last night fucking rocked.

When I was a little kid I loved Streets of Fire. It helped me fall in love with rock and/or roll. I dreamed the world was like the one depicted in the film with rockers playing shows and battling bad-boy biker gangs. Plus, it has Bill Paxton in it and who doesn’t love Bill Paxton?

Well the flick finally came out on DVD and it finally showed up in the mail yesterday from an order I placed before Christmas. I threw it in while I was DJing and got a great response since it seems everyone my age saw the movie as a kid and fell in love with it too. Plus Diane Lane is just too hot for words in this film. She so made my little twelve year old heart go a-pitter pat at the time.

Now I’m just waiting for the DVD issue of Rock And Rule next summer. I have one of the original VHS rental tapes of this lost classic but it’s getting pretty worn.

More trivia than you can shake a stick at (although we here at Tankboy Enterprises do not condone the shaking of any sticks for fear you’ll put an eye out kid.)

The Chicago Tribune ran a little blurb announcing the on-line posting of the city’s official facts and figures but I left the site address in my other pair of pants.

Y’know, when I’m DJing and there’s all kinds of cute girls around, and all my friends are totally getting hit on, and I need to be brusque with any girl trying to make time with me so she doesn’t get the wrong idea, and then everyone goes out until all hours to flirt and laugh and laugh the night away while I drag my weary ass home it can kind of suck to not be single.

But then when my weary ass gets home and I have the warm bodies of a girlfriend I love and a beagle I adore waiting for me I remember that being single wasn’t always that great and, considering how my life is now, I’ve got it pretty good.

Work humor.

The other day I told my boss I was going home and she asked why I was rushing.

“I’ve got to get back in the city to get to the gym and work out.” I said.

“Wash your mouth out!” she exclaimed. “Why do you say such horrible things.”

“Oh, I’m only working out for the aerobic exercise. I figure if my heart beats better and my lungs breath more fully I can smoke even more than I do now!”

She pondered that for a sec and said, “Okay, I can buy that. Go ahead and work out.”

The Chicago RedEye says: "The teeny tables and scant booths don't leave a whole lot of room for sitting, but the crowd (hipsters from all over the city) is mainly music fans who are more comfortable on their feet anyway. Stop in on Tuesday nights, when the DJ plays the best retro-rock this side of Detroit Rock City...."

Monday, January 19, 2004

GQ cowpunk?

I had the pleasure of seeing the Old 97's perform at The Metro late late Saturday night (the excellent Damnwells opened to an – unfortunately – unenthusiastic crowd) and was struck by the maxim “the more things change the more they stay the same.

Fist off, the group seems to have returned to its roots since all the new songs had a more pronounced twang and the shiny pop that saturated their last two albums was less-pervasive. The principals were all there and I was further convinced that their truly secret weapon is the terrific beats pounded out by drummer Philip Peebles is what separated ‘em from all else labeled “insurgent country.” Just as it was, eh?

Well, not quite. Leader Rhett miller has gone totally Italian Vogue with super-expensive print shirts, peg-legged slacks and a haircut that must’ve cost more than a murder and a heart attack. The man always used to toss his hair about on stage but the flippity-floppity of his shiny locks reached a cartoonish level and briefly distracted me. I guess that’s what happens when you move from Dallas to New York and marry a model. Well, as long as he keeps kicking out great tunes I could carte less how he looks.

That’s what made Saturday night’s show all the more enjoyable. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen the group at the release party for their last album held at Schuba’s and I thought the band I saw Saturday was in much better condition than the group I saw at Schuba’s a few years ago. Maybe Rhett going solo was a good thing for them since he seems to have been able to use that experience to mine the poppier fields of his imagination allowing the Old 97’s proper to freely kick some musical ass.

Thursday, January 15, 2004

I Love The Electric Six.

Why do I now love The Electric Six? Well for one they crafted one of the most enjoybale dance-rock records of 2003. It took a while to really grow on me but as I was driving home the other day the disc just totally clicked for me and I was glad I cast my consumer vote by spending some dough on the disc.

Also, when I booked this little band from Detroit named Pas/Cal at The Pontiac last year while The Electric Six was headlining Double Door for the first time the guys in Electric Six actually came over to the tiny little Pontiac to watch the band. They could have been boozing it up for free at Double Door but instead they went to support another act from Detroit. Awesome!

Second, last night I finally got to check out Cisco Pike, a new band featuring ex-Cells Pat and Randy, Scott from Local H and Tom from The Girls. Randy is the primary songwriter and he has this really sweet and honeyed voice that really compliments the melodies running through his songs. It was a cross between British shoegazer rock and Big Star at times. I just added them as an opener for the Cobra Verde bill I helped put together at Subterranean for the Done Waiting One Year Anniversary Chicago show and I am so excited to see them play again.

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Really really good. I don’t think I could have asked for a better show. The sound was tremendous, my sightline was great, the Rosemont Theatre is certainly a cozy place to see a rock show and both Bowie and his band were simultaneously well oiled and extremely laid back. As Photogal said, “He just looks so…natural…up there. Like we’re in his house or something.”

The only glitch in the whole evening is when some overstuffed fifty-somethings started screaming at the kids next to us to sit down. Apparently they were unaware that at a concert it is common practice for those members of the audience that entertain a more participatory nature to stand and “shake it” during the musical selections. Even more galling was the fact that these adults chose to scream like little brats rather than simply and politely asking the kids next to us to sit down. No one wants their view blocked and I can tell you from years of going to shows that most folks will gladly move out of your way if at all possible once they discover they are causing any kind of discomfort.

Also, it is tremendously funny to see a crowd largely in the forty years and older range twitter and cheer every time David Bowie says, “fuck.”

Some other notable Photgal quotes from the show:
- He’s got the body of a teenage boy!
- I love his hair.
- Is this a new song? (The song was “Hang On To Yourself" from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars released in 1972.)
- Oh my god! Look at the guy with the cell phone hanging from his belt play the air guitar!

(Overall I think she had a pretty swell time!)

My personal highlight? Watching a stage hand that was making it appear as if a plush puppy stuffed animal dancing on some steps to the side of the stage. I think I’m the only person who saw it…

And for the incredibly geeky types out there…

Setlist from David Bowie
Live at The Rosemont Theatre
in Chicago January 13, 2004

Rebel Rebel
New Killer Star
Reality
Hang On To Yourself
Fame
Cactus
All The Young Dudes
China Girl
Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
The Loneliest Guy
The Man Who Sold The World
Hallo Spaceboy
Sunday
Under Pressure
Life On Mars
Battle For Britain (The Letter)
Ashes To Ashes
Changes
White Light/White Heat
I’m Afraid Of Americans
“Heroes”

Monday, January 12, 2004

See-saw.

I had a weekend that see-sawed from extremely pleasant to extremely unpleasant as I work through some internal and external issues I haven’t really investigated to the extent I probably should have in the past. Yuck-o. Oh well, self-discovery can be a good thing, right?

On the bright side, all this week I’ll be outlining the albums that had the greatest impact on me while I was growing up. You can find then articles over at my Lost In Guyville Done Waiting column so make with the click-click and head on over.

On the double-plus good bright side. I secured Cisco Pike (with ex-Cells Pat and randy along with Scott from Local H and Tom from The girls) as the Chicago band to represent our fair town at the Done Waiting one-year anniversary Chicago show Feb 6 at Subterranean with Cobra Verde, Tiara and Denovo. This will fucking kill, I guarantee you.

Friday, January 09, 2004

No no no…stop head from going explodey!

Between my nine-to-five job and my inability to stop booking massive amounts of shows recently I’m pooped pop. For once I’m not all drained by late nights of liquor – as I’ve decided to dry out a bit over the next few weeks – and I actually have energy from hitting the gym regularly (I can’t believe, and never conceived that, I just typed that phrase) so my virtual tabla rasa is confounding to say the least.

I have the energy to write but there is virtually nothing going on upstairs…what’s up with that?

Okay, that’s not entirely true, I do have things on my mind but they haven’t quite worked their way through yet. I may be moving out of my apartment in the next couple months and that’s a bit of a mind-bender since I’ve lived there forever. Also, I’m slowly growing ever more domesticated and there are certain, let’s call them rebellious, urges that are fighting against this transformation even though I for the most part welcome a more relaxed lifestyle than I have pursued over the past thirteen or fourteen years. On top of this, a friend of mine just told me he’s expecting his first kid and that kind of threw my head into a spin and started me thinking about the adjustments I’ll have to make if a little tyke ever toddles into my life and the realization that while I’ll never don a fannypack I would be willing to make some major changes for a Tankboy Junior or Tankette.

Let’s just say there’s a remote possibility Tankboy is growing up a little more each day and I’m struggling to reconcile these changes with my more base nature that’s led me around for as long as I can remember.

Thursday, January 08, 2004

Sullen brings heaven and hell together
in a wall of noise that scares the neighbors.
Rockit Girl blends heavenly harmonies
with acidic sentiments for a full-on sugar rush.
Wonderful Smith mines the sweeter side of life
and searches for nuance in a rush-o-rama world.

For the record, let it be noted that Photogal can not wait until I finish watching Buffy season five so she can regain some semblance of control of the family room…and I might make it to bed before 2 or 3am at some point.

Also, let me say that Rudy and I are astonished that so many people showed up to hear us spin last night when the winds were howling through minus ten degree weather outside.

Also also, let me say that we greatly appreciate the number of younger college age ladies who have been showing up lately since they tow in lots of college age guys who drink massive amounts of alcohol and keep the owners of Ten56 happy. This insures Rudy and I can continue to play whatever the hell we want and keep the evening a fresh alternative to those bored by the DJ scene in Chicago…

So I’ve been looking for my Yeah Yeah Yeahs CD for about two months now and just this morning had decided I may as well go out to buy a new one to replace the runaway disc. Keep in mind the last time I did this was for the last Mars Volta album and no sooner had I bought its replacement than the missing disc turned up in my Jesus Christ Superstar CD case!

So this morning I’m tying my boots on the couch and look down at a David Bowie article in Vanity Fair where he lists a bunch of cool albums he owns and enjoys. I notice one of the titles is Charles Mingus’ Oh Yeah and think, “Damn, I wish I knew where that Yeah Yeah Yeahs disc is!” As I was thinking this, all bent over tying my boot, my vision skipped over to the space underneath my stereo where a brief reflection off a shiny surface caught my attention. I got up, walked over to the stereo, got down on my hands and knees and fished this new discovery out of the darkness.

It was my missing Yeah Yeah Yeahs disc.

Hmmm…

In other news…

TONIGHT

Hopefully your hangover has subsided, no?
Yes?
Yes!

Well then come on down and join
Rudy
and
DJ Tankboy
as they get you off on the good foot
in this brand new year we're in!

Old school rock and/or roll attitude
mixed with only the finest selections
from yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The Chicago RedEye says: "The teeny tables and scant booths don't leave a whole lot of room for sitting, but the crowd (hipsters from all over the city) is mainly music fans who are more comfortable on their feet anyway. Stop in on Tuesday nights, when the DJ plays the best retro-rock this side of Detroit Rock City...."

Monday, January 05, 2004

Grendel movie?!

Well, all right!

Warner Bros. Pictures-based John Wells Prods. has optioned the graphic novel "Grendel" from its creator, Matt Wagner, in association with Dark Horse Entertainment and Arsenal Entertainment. Scribe Carl Lund is attached to adapt the project through his blind script deal with JWP. An award-winning comic creation, "Grendel" spans several decades with its story encompassing various generations of characters. Lund's script will focus on the story line of Christine Spar, the adopted granddaughter of the notoriously sadistic yet rich and graceful Hunter Rose -- aka the original Grendel. Spar was the focus of Wagner's book "Grendel: Devil's Legacy."
(original story)

In the mid-80’s Matt Wagner’sGrendel and Mage were two of my absolute favorite comic books. While I would prefer to see the original Hunter Rose saga on celluloid I can understand why the Christine Spar story would be easier to translate and a bigger crowd pleaser. Let’s see if this actually ever gets off the ground but if it does it has the potential to be very cool.

Saturday, January 03, 2004

Yawn.

Nothing better than suddenly waking up at 5am and realizing the kitchen light is on...and you didn't leave it on before bed. On top of that, wondering just what woke you up so suddenly in the first place? Then lying there for about fifteen minutes trying to figure out if someone is in your apartment before launching yourself out of bed to investigate and then finding that not only is the kitchen light on but the back door is unlocked too. Fun!

I've checked all around my pad and confirmed there were no hidden ghoulies but now I can't get back to sleep. Maybe I should throw in one of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVDs I got for Christmas and cuddle up with Betty on the couch while I wait for Photogal to wake up. and go to the gym with me...

Friday, January 02, 2004

World Idol.

Okay, it's no big secret that I watch American Idol and think it's an entertaining hoot. Obviously I had to watch the World idol thingie they just did over the past week to see what other countries were choosing as winners before they crowned Kelly Clarkson World Idol since she was a shoo-in.

Apparently she wasn't!

In an upset I sure didn't see coming some little Hobbit-looking dude with a really big voice from Belgium (I think it was Belgium) won! Clarkson was in shock and presenters Ant and Dec seemed a tad cheerier when the tide so decisively turned.

I was thinking to myself and wondering if the result was a response to American foreign policy? Maybe. We certainly aren't particularly popular since the Cowboy is in the White House, but I think it's more important to remember that just because it's popular in America don't make it universally appealing. Hell, third place was held by some metal dude who covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit!" We may steer trends and influence but we sure as hell don't have the final word, right?